One dead, four injured in I-5 rollover

One person died and four were injured when their SUV rolled over on north Interstate 5 just south of the Border Patrol checkpoint Saturday morning, prompting a brief closure of two lanes and a traffic alert, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred at 8:15 a.m. when a 22-year-old San Diego man speeding in his 2004 Ford Explorer swerved to avoid traffic stopped ahead of him at the checkpoint, said CHP officer Jim Bettencourt. The SUV rolled several times, he said.

The driver was taken to a hospital with moderate to major injuries, he said.

A 26-year-old San Diego passenger not wearing his seat belt was ejected from the SUV and suffered major injuries, Bettencourt said. He was taken by air ambulance to Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, were he died at 2:40 p.m., Bettencourt said .

Two women and another male passenger suffered moderate to major injuries and were also taken to hospitals, Bettencourt said.

The crash caused the two slow lanes to be blocked and a traffic alert was issued at 8:49 a.m. It was canceled at 9:28 a.m., he said.

Investigators don’t believe the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Bettencourt said.